Gaming is an increasingly popular industry, with casinos and other gaming establishments continually seeking new and exciting ways to present games for play. Many games are generally presented on large free-standing gaming devices, such as the well known slot machines, video poker machines and the like. Other games can be presented at something other than a gaming device, such as the table games of craps, blackjack and roulette. In addition, games such as keno and bingo may be played in areas specially configured to present the game to players (e.g., at areas where personnel pick up keno cards and called numbers are displayed on large displays).
Such wager-based games allow the casino customers to place bets or wagers that result in winnings if the wager is successful, or losses if the wager is unsuccessful. A substantial disadvantage to the way such games are currently presented is that a player may participate in a particular game only at certain specified locations and/or on specific gaming machines or tables. For example, in order to play video poker or a particular slots game, such as “Red White and Blue,” a player may be required to travel through a large hotel and/or casino to a specific gaming area where an actual video poker or “Red White and Blue” gaming machine is located.
Casinos and other gaming operators generally desire to provide to their customers greater accessibility to gaming devices and the opportunity to play games. Of course, added issues can arise whenever players are permitted to engage in gaming events from mobile and/or remote locations, such as through the use of a personal gaming device (PGD). Security for any casino owned PGDs, increased fraud prevention, flexibility in PGD use, and player authentication and verification are only a few examples of such added issues. Furthermore, PGDs are more apt to be stolen, which then allows the thieves to play and collect any winnings from the purchased predetermined games. Additionally, since PGDs are mobile, it is also easier for minors to gain access to play the wager-based games on the PGDs.
In light of the foregoing, it is desirable to develop additional methods and systems that provide for improved functionality in mobile gaming involving PGDs, and in particular for such methods and systems to include enhanced security and player authentication features while remaining at similar or better levels of flexibility as on large free-standing gaming devices.